XXXI. Augmentation

All of the abilities and powers inherent to our kind are almost solely fueled by energy. Mastery of these powers requires an understanding of one's own energy as well as the ability to visualize that energy on the subtle level. The more advanced powers require the ability to manipulate the subtle body in order to perceive and interact with the subtle reality.

With determination and practice, all of our kind regardless of caste have the potential to learn and master any of the following skills.

The first and most basic thing we can do is physical augmentation. Augmentation uses our energy to influence our physical bodies. Augmentation allows us to push beyond our physical limitations through a concentrated act of will.

To augment, you must extend your awareness only slightly to the energy coursing through your body. Focus is essential. Gather the energy into your center, just under your heart chakra, then force it throughout yourself with a specific intent. In this way you may will a burst of strength or a burst of speed, you may increase your endurance, your pain tolerance, and even the rate at which you heal.

Through concentration of your will and your energy, you can heightened your senses of touch, taste, hearing, and so forth. A limited amount of increased sensual acuity comes without thought. All senses are affected in this way, though scent, taste, and touch are the most noticeably keener.

With practice, augmentation will come naturally, without a conscious effort, and may be kept up for extended periods of time. However, augmenting for extended periods tends to burn the system out very quickly so that one must feed more heavily and more often in order to compensate.

The same concept can be applied to pushing yourself beyond the limits of physical infirmity or disease. Many of us are sickly, because the connection between the physical and the spiritual bodies is disjointed or incomplete. Yet we can overcome whatever our physical limitations may be with a concentrated effort of will. As with augmentation, focus is essential, and compensating for extended periods of time will deplete you so that you will have to feed heavily more often. Yet with practice and diligence, one can compensate for the most debilitating conditions without hardly a thought, so that even those with serious heart conditions can achieve a level of physical activity and endurance that would astonish physicians.